In addition to meeting the needs of residents, enhancing community relations, and increasing the visibility of and referrals to the nursing home, Volunteer Coordinators provide a huge bang for the buck. Ellen Stein, Director of Volunteer Services at the Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in New York City, shares her secrets for obtaining 600 … Read more
I recently heard about a nursing home that held a fundraiser to benefit survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. The home, with many Haitian residents and staff members, wanted a way to express their sadness and show support for their friends, coworkers, and the people of Haiti. Residents baked cookies in their “Bakers’ Club” to … Read more
I’ve read Leslie Curtin’s story three times and it still makes me cry. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We had a man admitted status post CVA (after a stroke). He was never going to recover to the point where his wife could take him home since he was a 2 person assist to do anything and couldn’t … Read more
This positive story about long term care is from the perspective of a nursing home administrator/president. If you’d like to add your own good news, please use the comments box at the bottom of the post, or for a possible featured blog post, send me an email using the Contact Me button on the top … Read more
I’d like to thank Kathleen Carroll for sending in this beautiful story about how the nursing home staff eased the pain of saying good-bye for both her and her grandmother: I think my grandmother had a good experience at a nursing home. I’m grateful for the care, patience, respect, and warmth she and I received … Read more
Today I learned of an Indianapolis-based volunteer organization with a mission “to make the dreams of elderly and terminally ill adults come true.” How cool is that? Never Too Late has helped an 88-year old man race around the Indy 500 track, an 83-year old woman go sailing, and a 70-year old man learn to … Read more
“And in the top story of the day,” I teased my friend’s mother, who was fretting about us living in ‘dangerous’ New York City, “five million people went to work and came home with absolutely no problem!” When I read about nursing homes in the news, it’s likely to be a disturbing report on nursing … Read more
“I told my daughter not to be so gloomy-doomy all the time. I’ll be all right.” — A recently-placed 89-year old woman I laugh with the residents all the time. We laugh at their jokes and we laugh at the crazy things that happen in life and in a nursing home. Once I was working … Read more
At the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation (CNR) in Brooklyn, New York, Recreation Director Brenda Torres, has established computer stations with Internet connection in all the “neighborhoods,” as they call their units, and has several groups currently being run by the residents themselves. I believe both of these steps are essential for the emotional health … Read more